Devs get hands-on weapons experience at Cold Furnace

There’s nothing like hands-on experience. So in building its military-themed game, Cold Furnace staff goes beyond the traditional tools of game development. Programmers, artists and other members of the team working on Atrocity: Field of Hands receive training on the firing range to help bring authenticity to their work. While the studio is comprised of military vets with extensive combat experience, from production managers to game writers and artists, not everyone has a military background.

“It’s a great opportunity for our team members to gain first-hand experience in the handling and performance of the different weapons that we are recreating in our game,” said CEO and Chief Military Advisor Mark Wheeler. “Whether it’s the feel of a particular firearm, how it sounds or the effect it has on a target.”

Military advisors provide training in basic weapons handling, safety and maintenance, and Cold Furnace staff get to fire weapons ranging from pistols to large-caliber rifles. For the sake of authenticity, participants also get to sample some of the military’s cuisine at its finest in the form of field rations. The day is capped off with a round of Bogtrotter Craft beers, courtesy of Rod Croucher, Bogtrotter founder and Cold Furnace Military Advisor.

It might not be standard training for a video game development team. But it speaks to this studio’s commitment to realism and packs a lot of fun into a team-building exercise.